Being fit is certainly beginning to gain importance in this country, as underlined by the latest fitness challenge that is doing the rounds on Twitter. Started by the Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore on the 22nd of May, it was an attempt to bring fitness to the foreground of everyone’s lives. The task is simple, shoot a video of your daily regime of exercise, post it on Twitter and nominate other people to do it as well.

The first person to be nominated by the Minister himself was the captain of the Indian team Virat Kohli. Kohli happily obliged with a video and nominated none other than the Prime Minister himself to upload a video, and this is where things got interesting.

Three weeks after accepting the fitness challenge, Prime Minister Narendra Modi finally uploaded a video of him doing an array of exercises, including stretching on a rock and walking on varied surfaces.

Here are moments from my morning exercises. Apart from Yoga, I walk on a track inspired by the Panchtatvas or 5 elements of nature – Prithvi, Jal, Agni, Vayu, Aakash. This is extremely refreshing and rejuvenating. I also practicebreathing exercises. #HumFitTohIndiaFitpic.twitter.com/km3345GuV2

And the Twitterati were quick to catch on and poke fun at the video, highlighting the best parts and taking apart the weird poses. Some even went ahead and compared the state of our economy and country to the poses the Prime Minister struck.

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The Prime Minister chose three people for his nomination, Table Tennis champion Manika Batra, all IPS officers over the age of 40, and the newly elected CM of Karnataka, HD Kumaraswamy. While Manika Batra gladly accepted the fitness challenge, and so did many of the IPS officers, CM HD Kumaraswamy declined, stating that his state’s health was of a higher priority currently.

Dear @narendramodi jiI am honoured& thankU very much for d concern about my healthI believe physical fitness is imptnt for all&support d cause. Yoga-treadmill r part of my daily workout regime.Yet, I am more concerned about devlpment fitness of my state&seek ur support for it.

This was seen as a jab towards the Prime Minister by many, and the social media was quick to latch onto this and extract some humor. But even HD Kumaraswamy, who only became the CM last month with the help of an unlikely alliance of Congress and JD(S), was not spared. There were several tweets about how his video should be of him depending on Congress to do a pull-up.

In spite of this, there is no denying that the fitness challenge really has picked up traction. The list of celebrities taking this up has extended with even talented badminton players PV Sindhu and Saina Nehwal taking it up along with actress Deepika Padukone. All of them have placed stress on the role fitness plays in their lives and how they hope to see a fitter India.